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TimStannard

What people think

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TimStannard
, 01-30-2012 at 08:02 PM (8230 Views)
Does it really matter what other people think of your work? I'd imagine all of us want our films to be liked, but it is highly unlikely that everyone watching will form the same, or even similar opinions. Even when a whole bunch of people express a very strong opinion, it's just as likely that there will be others expressing the opposite.

I was prompted to consider this after watching and then reading reviews of th BBC's adaptation of Sebastian Faulk's novel "Birdsong". Some criticism is fact. Most people, it seems, struggled to hear at least some of the dialogue - it seemed mumbled and balanced down in the mix. This is the sort of criticism which we should accept. Similarly virtually every critic I read, professional or otherwise, thought the whole thing was beautifully photographed.

But aside from that opinions seem to be as divided as those amout Marmite. Half the critics thought the telling of the tales by intercutting the later tale and the earlier tale was pure geius (the novel tells it in a linear fashion) whilst the othe half thought it made the thing very disjointed - not allowing either tale to develop. Half the critics thought the long silent looks between the protagonists were deep and meaningful and offered an insight into their emotions and the other half thought it was just killed any momentum that was building. Even stranger some critics I read talked of the great range of expresions on the lead character's face whereas others talked of him having the one single blank expression.

Just goes to show, you can't please all the people. So long as some people like your work and get from it what you intend them to get from it, you can listen to, but not worry too much about those who disparage.

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  1. Midnight Blue's Avatar
    This is one reason why self belief is important for creatives in any artistic endeavour, even the more "out there" ideas will have
    an audience somewhere. If you don't make something you believe in, then you can't expect others to believe in it. Putting your piece before the right audience is the key. It's ok to post your video in this forum for a technical critique and if it's also enjoyed for it's content then that is a bonus. BUT it's only when it is played in front of the intended audience that you know if you hit the mark.
  2. Marc Peters's Avatar
    Does it matter what other people think? Only I you want them to. I sometimes kid myself that i create videos for my own pleasure. I convince myself that the fun of the creation and the joy of playback is all I need. But then I show them to others and eagerly await feedback. I dread negative response and urge comment by feigning modesty. "it's not very good, is t?". Oh, i see a few flaws, things I would gave done better (but probably couldn't), but I hope others don't.

    Does it matter what other people think? Hell yes.
  3. mikerb's Avatar
    I have put videos on here for critique and found that process both helpfull but also sometimes misleading. Helpfull because the comments generate ideas, misleading because unless you understand the perspective of the person making the comment you cannot be sure if it is representative of the views of others. I started making videos mostly to create a diary/archive of my sporting activity through the year...and be able to look back on it. Or at least that is what I thought! It very soon became apparent however that I needed reassurance that what I was creating was good! I am not sure why that is other than it being an instinctive part of human nature. Reassurance firstly from family, then friends..........and now from perfect strangers! I have come to the conclusion that "good"= meeting the expectations of those that [B]choose to watch the video,[/B] either because of its title or where it is made available. In terms of the videos I create, I judge ( and I could be wrong!) that people watch them either to be informed or to be entertained...or both at the same time. So yes I do care how people judge my videos but I am only concerned with the views of the audience for whom they are intended. So I agree with Midnight Blue and others. The trick therefore seems to be to understand what works for the intended audience.
    PS There is lot talked about in terms of photograhic skill and FX but I believe the biggest single aspect of video creation is the combination of visual and audio and probably insufficient attention is given to the interaction of those two elements in producing emotional stimuli.
  4. Stripe's Avatar
    Great comments - Midnight hit the nail on the head for me regarding self-belief - the paradox being that you then need approval? The extreme of approval is recognition, I think this is what we are really chasing. Self-belief insinuates that you are doing something out of the ordinary, doing something different in style or technique. If we didn't have this drive, nothing would ever change. We're hurt when we don't get approval because this taints our chances of acheiving recognition. I strive to dismiss the ego/ID side of this, and carry on with the self belief - it gives me the strengh to carry on. It doesn't ever matter if you are wrong or right, as long as you keep striving to be different?
  5. johnfromsouthwell's Avatar
    I am a novice and I think I produce rubbish. I get pleasure from trying to improve. When I think I am producing good work, then it will matter what other people think.
  6. TonyBR's Avatar
    Very interesting thread, and I´m with John (from South Well).... But, on the other hand, even the ones who got to the recognition stage mentioned by Stripe can improve their work, what put us all in the learning race of pleasure. Enjoy first, ask later.
  7. Bpotter908's Avatar
    Another alternative to the argument.

    I'm commissioned to produce an advert for a product based company, the goal is to get as many people as possible to "like" the advert so they will "Like" the product and hopefully "buy" the product.

    Therefore my goal is to get as many people to "like it" as possible. Yet if I am for something extraordinary and creative something that risks not being "liked" by people, I'll have missed the mark.

    Other times, we are free to be as creative as we wish! Experimenting with new ideas and ways of doing things even if you turn out utter rubbish, The point is you have the freedom to aim high and try to reach new levels of creativity/skills in your art.

    So please don't aim to be a mass market people pleaser! Aim to be bold and daring with your work, some criticisms are earnt ( bad audio ) some are merely peoples creative interoperation or them just not getting it.

    You've got a great resource in this community to experiment and to play with new ideas without needing to entertain a bunch of tick a bunch of "Must do this" boxes. Take advantage of it and use it to it's full capacity! Kudos to Marc for keeping this place going.
  8. zamiotana's Avatar
    I enjoy making videos and it is a bonus when people appreciate them.

    The US DOD tried to get pigeons to press buttons on missile guidance systems using rewards (yes I'm that old). They found that i[B]f the pigeon was rewarded all the time then it didn't perform as well as a pigeon that was rewarded randomly at a rate that is similar to the payoff rate of a Las Vegas slot machine. [/B]When pigeons or people are rewarded randomly but at an optimal frequency, they stick with what they are doing - pecking on switches, playing the slots, catching fish, posting videos, asking girls on dates, etc. If they aren't rewarded often enough or rewarded too often, then they get tired and move on. You do the math.